Tree-support.



, Patented May 22, I900. J. P. BECKER &,V J. F. WENGER.

' TREE SUPPORT.

(Application filed Dec. 7, 1899.)

(No Model.)

INVENTDEEF. UBHN PBE'QKER 36.1w "F EL vEIR.

El Y 7% A71 1 ATTEET NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN P. BECKER AND JOHN F. WENGER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

TREE-SUPPO RT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 650,001, dated May 22, 1900.

Application filed December 7, 1899. Serial No. 739,513. (No model.)

To ctZLwhmn/ it mag concern.-

' States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Tree- Supports; and we do'declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to treesupports; and the object of the invention is more especially to afford a support or stand for Christmas trees. Usually, and so far as we know universally, all supports or stands designed for this purpose hitherto have been of an improvised and temporary character, according as one thing or another offered to make up a sufficient stand; but we are not aware nor do we believe that any one before has devised a permanent stand intended to be used from season to season and having the special adapta= tions and advantages of construction which are embodied in the present invention and which comprise means which are calculated to accommodate themselves to crooked trees or-trees which have a more or less bent stem or body, as well as those that are perfectly straight.

Our invention therefore consists in a tree support and stand comprised in several parts and all arranged and constructed substantially as shown and described, and particu larly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a stand and the supporting member fixed thereon in a working relation. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation of a portion of the stand and of the supporting members and showing an elevation of the trunk or body of the tree engaged therein, as hereinafter more fully described. Fig. 3 is a plan View looking down on line 3 3, Fig. 2, and'comprising one of the supporting members and a portion of a stand and showing a cross-section of a tree supported therein.

A represents what we denominate as our stand or base, which is required to have such width as to prevent the tilting or falling over of the tree when it has been erected, and this stand or base may be of the identical construction here shown or of any equivalent construction and of any preferred material. Ordinarily a wooden base of boards or planks cut to length and brought together will serve the purpose. Upon this base or stand we employ two different and distinct members, the member or part B beingreferred to herein as the standard and the parts 0 as the segment or yoke.

D is the hook by which the tree is firmly engaged against the other two members 13 and O and held in an upright position.

The standard B is provided with a flange 2 at its base, through which it is permanently secured to the stand A, and at its top it has an open loop 3 of horseshoe shape, which may also be referred to as the yoke, within which the tree is supposed to be engaged, and midway of .its elevation at its rear there is a hole for the passage of the shank or hook D. The said shank is threaded and is engaged on the outside by thumb-nut 4 for drawing the hook as tightly as may be required, and the said shank is of such length as to accommodate the device to trees of different sizes or thickness.

The bottom member or yoke C is provided at its extremities with enlarged holes 5 and which may be round or circular, as here shown, or oblong or of other shape and adapted to be ing bolts or screws 6, one through each hole. A washer 7 of the requisite width overlaps the edges of the hole 5, and the bolt 6 passes through this washer and is engaged in or through the stand A-in this instance by a nut 8 on the under side of the stem.

By providing the yoke O with the enlarged openings 5 we are enabled to adapt our sup porting mechanism to crooked trees and to taking hold of the wings of the screw and ad-.

justing the yoke O in the required direction until a perfectly-erect position of the tree is engaged through by means of the short lockobtained, when the said screws or boltsare again fastened andthe settingof the tree has been concluded.

The foregoing construction not only affords an easy and convenient mechanism for ac-- 'complishing the object set forth, but one which canbe preserved and used again and again with each recurring season, as already indicated, and by reason of which the many serious accidents which occur with Christmas trees may be largely avoided. It is well known i. that frequently a Christmas tree, which is,

' laden with gifts and with burning candles,'-is

a source of not only serious accidents,but of disastrous fires, and all by reason of their tem-.

,porary and make-shift supports, and which.

'ai'e i nsufficient tolhold the tree, and vnot un- Iusuallyfchild ten are burned todeath byrea- .lSOnbf. snchstands; but by the use of our inventionno such accidents need occur,because ft h'erejis in the structure a complete support :for ,anyand all trees of the usual sizes' for family and kindred uses.

The bottom side of the yoke C has asharp ribbed surface or looking spurs or projections 1O t0,n1 ore firmly fasten the yoke to the base when set by the screws 6. This prevents any possibility of the yoke from slipping.

, v\What we claim isi '1. Thesupport for a Christmas tree com prising the standard, the separate yoke'for en gaging the 'lower extremity of the tree and a 'hook jn said standard, substantially as de- '2i The means herein described for supporttrees comprising a suitable base, a standard fixed thereto and constructed atits'top for theitree to rest-therein, a movable yoke on the base to engage the lower extremity of the tree and a hook through the standard to connect on the tree, substantially as described.

3. The base, in combination with the standardpermanently fixed thereto and having a yoke-shaped top portion engaging the tree, a.

tree-engaging hook centrally in said standard and aseparate member constructed to be adjusted on the said base-to adapt the supports to the tree andconstructedjtohavethelower extremity O f- -lh tree engaged therein, substantially as described.

4. A yoke to engage the extremity of a Christmas tree provided-with enlarged openin gs atits bottom forthe securing bolts,whereby the yoke may beadjusted .tothe'tree and having project-ions on .itsbot'tom' to lock the same onthe base, in combination withfthe base upon which said yoke is. secured, substantially as described.

5. The support for a Christmas treecomprising the standard and base, an adjustable hook in said standard. and a separateIadjust- V able yoke having locking projectionsonits bottom to engage said base, substantially as described. Y 1

WVitnessourhands to the foregoing specification this 29th day of November, 1899.

JOHN P. BECKER. JOHN F. WENGER.

Witnesses:

II. EMUDRA, H. T. FISHER. 

